The injured student groaned on the cot as June loomed over him, latex gloves snapping into place. His expression was cold, sharp, almost surgical—though in truth, he was just trying to hide how much his hands were trembling.
"Hold still," June muttered. His voice carried no warmth, just clipped irritation. He cleaned the wound with precise, practiced movements.
To the two boys watching, however, it was terrifying.
They exchanged a glance. So the rumors were true…
At Jae Won High, every staff member was fair game. Teachers were mocked, janitors ignored, and nurses? Usually treated like doormats.
But not this nurse.
Ever since Kang Eunwoo—known to the students as June—arrived, the bullying had stopped. Some swore he had the power to scold gang leaders into silence. Others whispered about his bribes: candy, snacks, even little drinks after patching you up.
The truth? June had only wanted to buy peace and quiet. Instead, more and more students kept showing up with fake injuries. Paper cuts, hangnails, stubbed toes. His office had become the busiest corner of the school.
It would've gone on forever, except for one thing—Vasco.
Flashback: Vasco
June remembered him from middle school. Back then, Vasco had been tall but quiet, always picked on for being gentle. He'd come to the nurse's office bruised, starving, tattoos scrawled across his body by cruel hands.
June was the only adult who treated him kindly—patching his cuts, slipping him bread when his lunch money was stolen.
Vasco never forgot.
Years later, his body was different—towering height, muscles carved from countless hours at the gym, tattoos covering his skin. Most students thought the tattoos were intimidating, but June knew the truth: they hid the cruel graffiti left by his tormentors.
To June, Vasco was still the same boy: an innocent introvert who only had one friend, Jace. June never once connected the dots that Vasco was now one of the most feared gang leaders in the city.
To Vasco, June was the only adult who had ever reached out to him. The one person who saw past the scars. And so, Vasco began visiting the nurse's office regularly—always with a carton of coffee milk, June's favorite.
And if anyone dared to bother June? Well, Vasco and his gang made sure that person regretted it.
June, blissfully unaware, simply thought fewer students were visiting because they finally respected his boundaries.
Back in the present, June tightened the last bandage and stepped back. "There. Done. Try not to get stabbed again today," he said, voice clipped.
The three boys froze, then bowed in unison, their voices booming in the small room:
"THANK YOU, NURSE!!!"
June flinched like they'd set off fireworks in his ears. Too loud! Too loud!
"Get out," he muttered, glaring to cover up his panic.
The three scurried off, leaving June alone. He collapsed into his chair with a sigh.
Social death. I should've stayed in the garden…
Meanwhile, somewhere in the halls of Jae Won High, the legend of the terrifying, angelic nurse grew larger still.
And in the shadows, Vasco smiled faintly, sipping his own coffee milk.